Virus paralyses Belgian ministry computers

A virus has paralysed computers at Belgium's finance ministry and tax offices for two days, Belgian media reported on Saturday.

The virus, which idles or shuts off computers, first appeared on Thursday and has also affected machines at tax and administrative offices throughout the country, reported the Het Belang van Limburg, la Gazet van Antwerpen and De Standaard dailies.

The virus, named "sality.gen" had not managed to breach the data base of individual tax returns at the ministry, the Belga news agency quoted Francis Adyns, spokesman for the federal public finance service, as saying.

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